Chapter 44: Gai, What Is True Victory?

Words : 1293 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Tsunade nodded, offering more encouragement. Might Gai was so excited that he immediately vowed to work hard and strive, determined not to let Tsunade down. Then, he ran off in a flash. Tsunade was silent for a few seconds before turning her head: "Has he always been like this?" "Maybe a bit unpredictable, but you’ll get used to it. He’s actually a hardworking and talented ninja." Kyohiko spoke up for Gai. Tsunade nodded. Of course, she knew Gai was good and hardworking; otherwise, she wouldn’t have given him substantial support. Did Tsunade and Orochimaru arrive so quickly because they happened to see it, or were they always keeping an eye on me? Kyohiko observed while silently pondering. Then... He asked, "Tsunade-nee, have you overcome that yet?" "It’s not that easy." Tsunade shook her head. She had indeed been researching and looking for relevant information to see if there were any corresponding drugs, but Konoha had no records in this area—it was completely blank. On the bright side— There was a lot of room for progress in the medical field, and she had many directions to work toward. As she spoke, she couldn’t help but laugh. "Earlier, I was discussing with Orochimaru whether the Hozuki clan’s water transformation has specific nerves." "This..." Kyohiko couldn’t answer. Tsunade smiled confidently. "Don’t worry, I’m Tsunade. A small issue like this won’t defeat me. If I overcome it now, how will I find the right medicine?" She walked forward but suddenly stopped. "By the way, Jiraiya hasn’t been in the village recently. Did I mention the Chunin Exams to you?" "No, but Gai just told me about it." Kyohiko replied. Tsunade slapped her forehead. "I’ve been so busy with research lately that I forgot to tell you!" Then, she explained the situation of this Chunin Exam. It was roughly the same as what Gai had said. The difference was that Tsunade mentioned deeper issues. The problem with the Land of Waves was similar to what Kyohiko had thought. At the national level... Nobles from various countries had gathered in the Land of Waves to discuss a set of maritime rules and policies to prevent the shipping industry from being maliciously monopolized by commercial companies. At the village level, Konoha, along with Kumogakure and Yugakure, who were stakeholders in the shipping routes, pressured Kirigakure to declare that they would not support Gato behind the scenes and would not interfere in the Land of Waves’ internal affairs— Konoha was the same. Jiraiya had gone as a representative to attend this meeting. The joint Chunin Exam was an add-on to this meeting. Essentially, everyone wanted to know how well each village had recovered after the war. The exam was to be held in Yugakure. "Everyone still has small-scale battles and conflicts privately, so no one feels safe hosting it. That’s why we chose the neutral Yugakure. This is a very special exam, and the village is being very careful in selecting participants." Tsunade looked at Kyohiko. "You and Kurenai are among them." Kyohiko asked, "Can Kakashi participate?" Tsunade shook her head. Kakashi was already a Chunin. Having him participate in such a high-level joint exam would inevitably lead to criticism. "Even if you and Kurenai participate, we still need to find a temporary teammate. Any ideas?" "What about Gai and the others?" "They’re not strong enough. Might Gai, though..." Tsunade recalled the information. Setting aside ninjutsu and academic performance, Might Gai wasn’t weak. His two teammates, however, didn’t meet the standard. Forming a temporary team for the exam might work. She was about to say she’d help Kyohiko ask. But... Thinking of Gai’s earlier behavior, she couldn’t help but twitch her lips, losing the desire to interact with him again anytime soon. "I’ll ask Kurenai for you. As for Might Gai, you’d better ask him yourself to avoid misunderstandings. If you decide to participate, you have a month to train together." "Yes!" Since Gai had mentioned it earlier, he was likely willing to participate. Kyohiko wasn’t worried. ... After parting ways with Tsunade, Kyohiko found Might Gai outside a forest. He was training while wiping away tears. Kyohiko hesitated for a moment but eventually walked over. "Gai, there’s something important. How many people from your team are participating in the Chunin Exam? If it’s just you, our team might be short one person." Might Gai’s expression froze, then turned to joy. "Really?" "I’ve always believed in you. Or did you think I was just comforting you before?" "Kyohiko!" Gai immediately hugged Kyohiko. Then, he quickly let go, excitedly saying, "I need to train! I need to get stronger so I won’t drag you down! Today, I’ll run 500 more laps. If I can’t do it, I’ll..." "I’ll train with you!" "Great!" ... That night, both were exhausted, but Kyohiko still insisted on walking Gai home. "Gai, is this the new friend you mentioned?" "This is Kyohiko, the one I told you about." Gai hesitated for a moment, then said, "Father, he even invited me to join the Chunin Exam with him!" Might Dai was stunned. Then, he patted Gai’s head. After a pause, Might Dai said, "Gai, do you remember what I said about what true victory is for a ninja?" "To protect what’s important to you, even at the cost of your life." "Right. Today, I’ll teach you a technique. It’s not perfect yet, but—this Chunin Exam is your chance to protect your comrades!" Might Dai said, suddenly releasing a massive amount of chakra. At that moment, Gai was stunned. Before, he had stopped disliking his father’s "youth" quotes and even unconsciously picked up some of them, but he had never imagined that his father possessed such immense power. "This technique can only be used to protect your teammates. From now on, I’ll train you to master it!" "Yes!" ... The next day, at the agreed training ground outside the village. "You two?" "We won’t drag you down!" Kyohiko and Gai shouted in unison. Kurenai’s face darkened. These two clearly had trained hard the previous day, as their energy and spirits weren’t at their best. Kyohiko was better off, just slightly tired, but it shouldn’t affect today’s training. But Might Gai... His energy and spirit—did he even rest last night? She stared at Might Gai. Gai immediately shrank back: "I... I didn’t mean to..." A moment later, the fourth person arrived. Though he tried to hide it, Kurenai could see Kakashi was covered in bruises. She sighed. "You guys! Let me treat you first. My skills aren’t great, but I can handle these injuries easily." "No need, it won’t affect the fight." Kakashi’s tone was cold. Kyohiko said, "Kurenai, don’t just focus on us. You didn’t rest well either, did you?" Kurenai fell silent. Everyone wanted to get stronger—how could she rest? A moment later, the fifth and sixth members arrived. Genma and Ebisu—without a doubt, these two were in the best shape and spirits. However... When they saw the other four... It was clear that each of them had been training intensely. Compared to them... Genma and Ebisu exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock and a deep sense of shame. Before, they had only compared themselves to Gai, thinking his talent was average and his insane efforts weren’t surprising. But... What about Kakashi, Kurenai, and Kyohiko? They were Jiraiya’s students! Were they all as crazy as Gai? "Let’s begin. This training is mainly to help these three improve their teamwork for the joint Chunin Exam. As for us three..." Kakashi glanced at Genma and Ebisu. He instinctively wanted to criticize, but his rationality suppressed the urge. "We’ll just do our best." After all... Even he, if not purely competing in swordsmanship, might not be Kyohiko’s match. Just do your best!

Chapter 44: Gai, What Is True Victory?

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